Integrative medicine for children and teens
Whole-child, integrative and functional medicine — combining conventional paediatric care with a wider set of biomedical tools, chosen for your individual child.
A different kind of medical care for neurodivergent children
If you’re reading this, you may be exhausted.
Exhausted by long NHS waitlists. Exhausted by being told your child’s distress is “just behavioural.” Exhausted by treatments that don’t fit the child sitting in front of you.
The London Resilience Clinic was founded to fill this gap. We are the only UK clinic offering the North American style of integrative paediatric medicine for autism, ADHD, AuDHD, anxiety and the overlapping conditions that travel with them. We treat the whole biological picture — the nervous system, the gut-brain-immune axis, methylation, sensory processing — not just the surface behaviour.
This guide is a short introduction to how we work, what becomes possible when treatment is built around your child’s actual biology, and how to get started.
What’s inside
Integrative paediatric medicine, delivered to British families
The London Resilience Clinic is an evidence-based integrative neurodivergent resilience clinic. We do not view neurodivergence as a disease to be cured. We view it as a unique neurotype that requires specialised biological and somatic support to thrive.
Recognised by the American Board of Physician Specialties, our integrative approach combines functional testing, novel botanical medicines, careful medication management, therapeutic diets and nervous system regulation under one personalised plan.
Why standard care often falls short
Most parents reach us after years of fragmented appointments — one specialist for sleep, another for the gut, a third for behaviour. None of them talking to each other. None of them looking at the full picture.
Dismissal of biology.
Ask about diet, micronutrients, methylation or the gut-brain axis and you’re typically met with blank stares — even when these have well-established research behind them.
Therapies that don’t fit the brain.
Standard CBT and exposure therapy can actively traumatise a high-masking neurodivergent teen, forcing them to “think” their way out of a nervous system crisis.
One-size-fits-all medication.
Standard SSRIs for anxiety. Stimulants that trigger sensory overload in an AuDHD teen. Side effects without root-cause work.
Multi-year waitlists.
2–4 year waits for any meaningful support — and when help finally arrives, it’s often a 20-minute appointment, or a diagnosis and then discharge without further assistance.
How our approach differs
| Standard Care | The LRC Approach |
|---|---|
| Doctor-centred and protocol-driven | Built around your individual child |
| Same prescription for the same diagnosis | Personalised to biochemistry, brain and nervous system |
| Standard pharmaceuticals only | Includes holistic, botanical and novel medicines |
| Narrow blood tests, often “normal” | Functional testing of microbiome, methylation, hormones |
| Mental and physical symptoms treated separately | Nervous system and biology treated together |
| One specialist per symptom, no shared plan | One integrated plan across every symptom cluster |
Our four pillars
Functional medicine testing.
Stool analysis, organic acids, methylation, mitochondrial markers, and where indicated, FRAT testing — to find the roadblocks standard tests miss.
Nervous system regulation.
Kid-friendly vagal toning, safe-and-sound auditory programs, breath and body practices, plus selected at-home devices for older children.
Therapeutic diets & nutraceuticals.
Sensory-aware, clinical-grade prescribed diets and supplements. Folinic acid (Refolinon) trials where folate-pathway support is indicated.
Personalised, low-dose medication.
Carefully chosen pharmaceuticals where they help. Low-dose cannabinoid medicines in selected severe cases. Always titrated.
The hidden link between symptoms
In neurodivergent children, seemingly unrelated symptoms often share common roots — nervous system dysregulation, gut-brain-immune axis disruption, altered methylation and a turned-down sense of interoception (the brain’s awareness of the body). Treating one in isolation rarely works. Treating them as a connected biological story does.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
The lived experience
Autism is a diverse spectrum, and the lived experience of one autistic child can look very different from another. We treat the full spectrum of presentations:
High-masking children and teens
Often present first with severe anxiety, mood changes, or school refusal. As social and academic demands increase, their ability to “mask” — hide their autistic traits to fit in — collapses, leading to autistic burnout.
Higher-needs presentations
Involve a complex combination of language delays, learning differences and profound sleep difficulties. Behavioural symptoms can be intense, including self-injurious behaviours and severe sensory overwhelm. Some children have higher needs in some areas (language and communication) but fewer issues in behaviour and sleep — every child is unique.
Regardless of where a child sits on the spectrum, their neurodivergence profoundly affects their physical health, peer interactions and family dynamics. Many also experience tics, chronic headaches, symptoms from hypermobility and untreated digestive issues.
Symptoms we see
- Social communication differences, difficulty interpreting social cues, challenges with reciprocal conversation
- Restricted and repetitive behaviours, strict adherence to routines, intense interests, stimming
- Heightened or reduced sensory sensitivities to noise, light, textures or smells
- Sensory overload and meltdowns
- Severe co-occurring anxiety, panic, food cravings and sleep disturbances
- Restricted eating driven by sensory sensitivities
Biological mechanisms
Methylation and folate cycle differences.
Methylation acts as the biochemical “gears” of the body, controlling neurotransmitter production, cellular energy and detoxification. A high percentage of autistic individuals have genetic variations (such as MTHFR) that make these gears stick. Sluggish methylation impairs the production of serotonin and melatonin, driving sleep disturbances and anxiety. It also affects production of glutathione, the body’s master antioxidant.
Cerebral folate deficiency.
A specific condition where the brain is starved of folate, severely impacting learning, language and behaviour. This can be identified using FRAT testing, and targeted treatment with folinic acid (Refolinon / Leucovorin) can yield meaningful improvements in communication for some children.
Gut-brain-immune axis dysfunction.
Microbes in the gut produce chemicals that directly alter brain function, immune response, focus and mood. Microbiome dysbiosis and intestinal permeability (leaky gut) drive systemic inflammation that can worsen autism symptoms.
Mitochondrial differences.
The autistic brain has high energy demands. When the mitochondria — the cellular power plants — cannot produce enough ATP to meet demand, the child experiences deep exhaustion. Coupled with high oxidative stress and impaired detoxification, this cellular energy crash can masquerade as “laziness” or “defiance” when the child has no biological fuel left.
Nervous system hyperarousal and sensory gating.
Neurodivergent children often have a nervous system set on high alert, stuck in chronic fight-or-flight. When the brain cannot properly filter background noise, the auditory cortex is bombarded, which shuts down the vagal “rest and digest” system and triggers behavioural meltdowns.
Endocannabinoid system dysregulation.
The endocannabinoid system acts as a master regulator for mood, sleep, appetite, immune function and stress response. Autistic children often have altered ECS tone, meaning their brain’s natural ability to “cool down” after stress is impaired.
Co-occurring conditions we treat alongside
- Severe sleep disturbances and chronic insomnia
- Chronic constipation, severe bloating, malabsorption
- Profound sensory sensitivities and restrictive eating
- Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD / hEDS)
- Co-occurring ADHD, OCD or tic disorders
- Transition stress and anxiety spikes around school changes
Our integrative treatment approach
We do not aim to “cure” autism or force a child to act neurotypical. We use a targeted, multi-disciplinary approach to remove biological roadblocks, treat co-morbid symptoms and build systemic resilience.
Functional testing.
Advanced, non-invasive testing where possible — including FRAT testing to assess for cerebral folate deficiency, mitochondrial assessment using cheek swabs, and comprehensive stool, urine and saliva panels.
Microbiome medicine and targeted nutrition.
Prescribed nutraceuticals, botanicals and food chaining techniques designed for extreme picky eaters — to heal gut barrier function, bypass methylation roadblocks and expand the diet without mealtime trauma.
Nervous system regulation.
Specialised tools including vagal nerve stimulation (wearable stickers or ear clips), safe-and-sound auditory programs, biofeedback, simple breathing exercises and parental co-regulation coaching.
Low-dose cannabinoid therapy.
When clinically indicated for treatment-resistant, severe behavioural disturbances, self-injurious behaviours, anxiety and sleep disturbance, microdose high-CBD full-spectrum medical cannabis oils with minor cannabinoids can help calm daytime symptoms, reduce severe distress, and help restore sleep–wake cycles as part of an integrative plan. Carefully prescribed by our specialist paediatrician.
The clinical goal
Fewer meltdowns. Quicker recovery from shutdowns. Restorative sleep. A more peaceful home. By systematically removing gut-immune roadblocks, resolving hidden cellular stressors and establishing nervous system safety, we expand your child’s biological capacity. They regain the physical energy to attend school, play and engage with the world — while keeping the unique strengths and brilliance of their neurodivergent brain intact.
ADHD — beyond the “attention” centre
When we hear ADHD, we usually think of a child who can’t sit still or focus on their homework. But if you are raising a child with ADHD, you already know that “attention” is only the tip of the iceberg.
ADHD isn’t just a misfiring of a single “focus” switch. It is a neurodevelopmental difference that involves multiple, interconnected brain systems. To truly support your child, we have to look past the attentional system and understand the other networks at play.
The lived experience
Children with ADHD often present as bright and creative, yet struggle daily with focus, emotional regulation and learning. They may excel in specific areas like reading or coding but experience severe meltdowns over homework or struggle in areas they find boring.
Children often hide their stress at school (masking) and release it as emotional outbursts or shutdowns at home. Symptoms frequently include difficulty falling or staying asleep, sensory overload regarding clothing or sound, and high reactivity to transitions. Children may experience cycles of intense hyperactivity followed by complete withdrawal, exhaustion or burnout-like fatigue.
ADHD is much more than the core symptoms of problems with focus and attention, even though this is the sole focus of most ADHD clinics.
Symptoms we see
- Difficulty with focus, attention and task completion
- Emotional dysregulation and intense feelings
- Impulsivity and difficulty pausing before acting
- Sleep difficulties and delayed sleep phase
- Sensory overload around clothing, food textures or sound
- Cycles of hyperactivity followed by exhaustion
- Anxiety and a feeling of being “wired and tired”
The brain networks involved
Dopamine and the striatum.
People with ADHD have differences in how they make, take up, transport and clear dopamine, and in the brain centres that are rich in this neurotransmitter. This leads to differences in reward and motivational signalling that link back to core ADHD traits.
The executive function network.
Centred in the prefrontal cortex, this is the brain’s management system — responsible for working memory, organising tasks, managing time and controlling impulses. When this area is under-stimulated, children don’t just forget their lunchbox; they struggle to plan the steps to get ready in the morning, shift from playing to chores, or put the brakes on a sudden impulse.
The limbic system (emotional thermostat).
Many parents are surprised to learn that profound emotional dysregulation is a core feature of ADHD. Because the connection between the emotional centres and the prefrontal cortex is less efficient, children with ADHD often experience feelings at 150% intensity. A minor disappointment can lead to a major meltdown. They aren’t trying to be difficult; their emotional thermostat is struggling to find the middle ground.
Metabolism and insulin regulation (the brain’s fuel supply).
ADHD brains are highly sensitive to metabolic fluctuations. If a child has poor blood sugar regulation, their brain experiences energy crashes. These crashes directly impact dopamine production — the very neurotransmitter ADHD brains are starving for. Spiking and crashing blood sugar can mimic, trigger or worsen ADHD symptoms like brain fog, irritability and hyperactivity.
The circadian and arousal systems.
Many children with ADHD have a naturally delayed circadian rhythm — their brains simply do not release melatonin at the “normal” time. A chronically overtired brain looks exactly like an ADHD brain: hyperactive, impulsive and emotionally brittle.
Biological mechanisms
Nervous system overload.
Children with ADHD often have a nervous system stuck in fight-or-flight mode due to autonomic dysfunction and low vagal tone, meaning their bodies lack the tools to self-regulate back to a calm baseline.
Gut-brain-immune axis.
Imbalances in the gut microbiome, intestinal permeability and bacterial metabolites can directly disrupt neurotransmitter production and brain chemistry.
Mitochondrial differences.
Recent research suggests that lower levels of ATP in specific brain regions, like the prefrontal cortex, correlate with the severity of inattention. Mitochondrial dysfunction leads to the production of reactive oxygen species, creating oxidative stress that further damages the mitochondria and triggers neuroinflammation.
Biomarkers and nutrients.
Organic acids testing reveals brain chemical imbalances, mitochondrial function and yeast overgrowth. Micronutrient deficiencies frequently involve magnesium, zinc, B6 and amino acids required for nervous system resilience.
Endocannabinoid system dysregulation.
The ECS, which regulates stress, mood, sleep and neuroinflammation, may be out of balance in children with ADHD.
Co-occurring conditions
- Clinical anxiety disorders (affecting 61–66% of children with ADHD) and OCD
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (frequently overlapping as AuDHD)
- Gastrointestinal issues including reflux, constipation and food sensitivities
- Tics
- Sensory processing differences
- Specific learning differences like high-masking dyslexia
Our integrative treatment approach
Personalised low-dose medication where needed.
Where ADHD medication helps, we titrate carefully. The main issue we see in patients arriving from standard ADHD clinics is that moderate-to-high dosing is the default, and emerging side effects are dismissed as “unrelated.” We pair medication with nutraceuticals to avoid needing the high doses that often result in long-term side effects.
Targeted clinical nutraceuticals.
Specific doses based on biomarkers and symptom maps in child-friendly forms (gummies, powders, liquids) to support dopamine and serotonin production, methylation, folate cycle functioning, gut repair and mitochondrial function.
Sleep support.
Circadian rhythm reset using personalised dosages of liquid melatonin, herbals and chrononutrition principles to support overstimulated brains.
Nervous system regulation.
Low-tech somatic tools parents can use at home, sensory integration routines, and high-tech neuromodulation including biofeedback and brain audio frequency programs.
Functional medicine.
Stool, urine (OAT) and methylation testing to guide personalised interventions. Kid- and sensory-sensitive-friendly dietary support, specific to each child’s needs and preferences, where appropriate.
The clinical goal
A child with clearer focus, cognitive energy and faster emotional recovery following stress. A child who feels safe, confident and able to access their full potential without chronic burnout. We help identify their unique strength areas as well as challenges to guide educational planning, and give parents and children a roadmap to how their brain and body actually work.
Anxiety
The lived experience
Children and teens with anxiety often live with an internal alarm that is constantly buzzing, leading to jumpiness, sensory overload and sleep troubles. When suffering from severe anxiety or OCD, teens often feel on edge all day and are unable to enjoy school or even leave the house.
Anxiety frequently presents as school refusal, where the child experiences severe distress around attending school. Between 61% and 66% of children and teens with ADHD meet the criteria for a clinical anxiety disorder — and this anxiety often goes untreated and worsens over time.
Many children and teens who present with anxiety are also neurodivergent with autistic traits. Often this has not yet been recognised in highly masking children and teens until they hit a burnout point.
Why standard care often makes it worse
Standard clinics typically only offer basic anti-anxiety medications or generic CBT therapy, which frequently do not work — especially for neurodivergent children or teens. First-line psychological treatments, such as group CBT or exposure therapy, can actually worsen the child’s anxiety and traumatise them further if they are also neurodivergent, since they process their world, sensory information and internal body cues differently than neurotypical peers.
Conventional care also ignores underlying drivers such as gut health, undiagnosed ADHD, sensory overwhelm, micronutrient insufficiencies and overlapping conditions like dysautonomia.
Symptoms we see
- Constant worry, intrusive thoughts and difficulty switching off
- School refusal and severe distress around school
- Tummy aches, constipation, loose stools and food intolerances
- Chronic sleep problems and inability to “turn off” at night
- Tics
- Sensory processing challenges
- Severe pickiness around food (sometimes misdiagnosed as a primary eating disorder)
The gut-brain-immune axis: a closer look
While we traditionally view childhood anxiety as a purely psychological or developmental hurdle, current evidence recognises it as a systemic, whole-body state. The communication highway between the gut, the immune system and the brain is heavily trafficked and highly sensitive in children.
Microbial fingerprints of anxiety.
Recent landmark research has shown that the foundation for anxiety is often laid in toddlerhood. Children with specific gut bacterial imbalances — particularly overgrowths in the Clostridiales order and Lachnospiraceae family — show altered connectivity in emotion-regulating brain networks and a significantly higher risk of developing severe anxiety, withdrawal and depression by early school age.
The neurotransmitter factory.
An estimated 90% of the body’s serotonin, along with significant amounts of dopamine and GABA (our primary calming neurotransmitter), is manufactured in the gut. Early-life dysbiosis disrupts this production line, leaving a child biochemically predisposed to hyperarousal.
Short-chain fatty acids.
Healthy gut bacteria ferment dietary fiber into SCFAs like butyrate. These cross the blood-brain barrier to regulate brain immune cells and promote resilience to stress. A lack of SCFAs directly correlates with heightened anxiety in children.
Blood-brain barrier permeability and microglial activation
Microglia are the brain’s resident immune cells. There are robust animal models showing that microglial activation — which can arise from many factors, including early-life stress, gut dysbiosis and infectious triggers — is associated with high-anxiety behaviours. In human paediatric clinical trials, children with anxiety frequently show a strong correlation between severe childhood anxiety and elevated blood markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and TNF-alpha. These circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines can cross the blood-brain barrier, triggering microglial hyperactivation in core emotional regions like the amygdala. This mechanism provides a clear rationale for how neuroinflammation can affect anxiety symptoms in children, especially those who are neurodivergent.
PANS and PANDAS
An initial infection (such as Strep, flu, or severe gut dysbiosis) can trigger a misdirected immune response. T-cells release inflammatory cytokines that compromise the blood-brain barrier and affect the basal ganglia — the brain’s movement and emotion control centre. This causes an “overnight” onset of severe anxiety, OCD, restrictive eating, tics and emotional lability. Standard psychiatric medications often fail or cause adverse reactions in these children, because the root cause is autoimmune neuroinflammation, not a primary psychiatric deficit.
- OCD and intrusive thoughts
- Undiagnosed or diagnosed ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Gastrointestinal issues and food intolerances
- Tics
- Sensory processing challenges
- Restrictive eating
Our integrative treatment approach
- Carefully titrated medications where needed. This may include microdose, high-CBD, full-spectrum cannabinoid oil in treatment-resistant anxiety.
- Functional medicine testing to investigate the gut microbiome and gut-brain-immune axis contributors.
- Nervous system regulation — age-appropriate techniques for releasing physical tension and addressing sympathetic nervous system hyperarousal; kid-friendly audio recordings and guided practices to help tone the vagus nerve and increase parasympathetic tone; high-tech devices for older kids and teens to shift states more easily; and specialised audio-frequency programmes that help reset auditory gating to reduce sensory overwhelm.
- Therapeutic diets to help balance blood sugar and reduce the cortisol spikes that can flare anxiety, with food approaches specifically tailored for sensory issues and picky eating.
- Clinical-grade nutraceuticals, botanicals and gut protocols to improve the gut-brain axis and support methylation — addressing sluggish enzymes such as COMT and MTHFR SNPs that can be a biological driver of anxiety.
- Parental co-regulation — helping parents to co-regulate and signal safety to their child’s brain, using simple techniques the whole family can do together at home.
The clinical goal
A more peaceful home, fewer meltdowns, quicker recovery, better self-esteem and self-understanding, and a child or teen who is confident they can handle daily stressors and enjoy school and family life.
AuDHD (Autism + ADHD) — when two neurotypes meet
Many of our paediatric patients arrive with overlapping autism and ADHD — a presentation increasingly recognised as AuDHD. The two neurotypes interact in complex ways: the ADHD brain craves novelty and stimulation while the autistic brain craves routine and predictability. The result can be a child who is simultaneously sensory-seeking and sensory-avoidant, hyper-focused and easily overwhelmed, social and shut down.
The lived experience
AuDHD children often present with:
- Intense interests alongside difficulty sustaining attention on uninteresting tasks
- Sensory overwhelm combined with sensation-seeking behaviour
- Strong internal sense of justice paired with impulsive emotional reactions
- High masking in school, followed by significant after-school dysregulation
- Severe sleep difficulties (the ADHD wired brain plus the autistic difficulty with transitions to sleep)
- Greater susceptibility to burnout, often earlier than peers with just one neurotype
Standard medication approaches often struggle with AuDHD. Stimulants prescribed at ‘one size fits all’ doses for the ADHD presentation can worsen sensory overload, anxiety and rigidity in the autistic dimension. SSRIs prescribed for anxiety can flatten affect and worsen executive function. The result is often a child cycling through medications with disappointing outcomes.
Why our approach fits
Because AuDHD sits at the intersection of two neurotypes with overlapping biology — sensory gating differences, methylation variations, gut-brain-immune axis disruption, ECS dysregulation — our whole-system approach is often particularly effective. By treating the underlying biology rather than chasing each symptom in isolation, we can reduce overwhelm in both directions.
Our integrative treatment approach
We draw from the autism and ADHD toolkits in combination, with particular attention to:
- Very careful, low-dose titration if stimulants are used, specific to your child’s neurodivergent profile
- Strong nervous system regulation foundation before adding stimulating interventions
- Functional medicine to address the methylation, mitochondrial and gut roadblocks common in both conditions and reduce medication side effects due to metabolomic ‘roadblocks’
- Folinic acid where indicated
- Cannabinoid medicines where appropriate, to soften sensory overload and improve sleep without flattening the child’s personality
The clinical goal
A child or teen who can access both their autistic strengths (deep focus, pattern recognition, integrity) and their ADHD strengths (creativity, energy, lateral thinking) without being overwhelmed by the conflicts between the two. Reduced burnout. More predictable energy. A home where the after-school crash is no longer the norm.
Tics, Sensory Processing & OCD
Tics
Tics are involuntary movements or sounds that frequently travel alongside ADHD, autism, anxiety and OCD. Standard care often defaults to heavy medications with significant side effects, or simply tells families to wait and hope.
We look for the biological drivers underneath: gut-brain-immune axis disruption (particularly in PANS/PANDAS presentations), methylation differences, magnesium and B6 insufficiencies, and nervous system hyperarousal. Treatment is built around:
- Functional medicine testing to identify drivers
- Targeted nutraceuticals (often including magnesium, B6 and specific botanicals)
- Nervous system regulation to lower the overall arousal state
- Where indicated, low-dose cannabinoid medicines, which can be particularly helpful for tic suppression in selected children
- Where PANS/PANDAS is suspected, immune and infection-focused workup referral
Sensory processing differences
Sensory processing differences are not a separate condition so much as a feature woven through autism, ADHD, AuDHD and anxiety. They affect how a child experiences clothing, food textures, sound, light and touch — and they are not optional or behavioural. A child who cannot tolerate the seam in their sock is not being dramatic; their brain is registering a physiological alarm.
Our approach focuses on:
- Helping to reset auditory gating and reduce sensory overwhelm
- Vagal toning to expand the child’s window of tolerance
- Working with — not against — the child’s sensory preferences in diet, clothing and environment
- Functional medicine to address the gut-brain-immune drivers that often amplify sensory sensitivity
- Parental coaching on creating sensory-friendly home environments
OCD and intrusive thoughts
Paediatric OCD can be devastating for families and is often poorly managed in standard care. Severe OCD in children may also signal a PANS/PANDAS presentation, particularly if onset was sudden.
Our approach combines:
- Recommendation for workup for PANS/PANDAS where the history fits (sudden onset, infection trigger, alongside tics or restrictive eating) based on the initial assessment
- Gut-brain-immune axis work to reduce neuroinflammation
- Functional medicine program tailored to biomarkers
- Nervous system regulation as a foundation, before any exposure-based work
- Low-dose cannabinoid medicines in selected severe cases where standard care has failed
- Careful, low-dose pharmaceutical management where medication is appropriate
Functional medicine — testing, not guessing
Functional medicine is the biochemical pillar of our work. Where standard NHS testing typically uses a narrow set of blood markers that often come back “normal,” functional testing looks at how your child’s body is actually working — the microbiome, methylation pathways, mitochondrial function, nutrient status, immune markers and more.
We use this testing to find the specific roadblocks slowing your child down. Then we treat what we find.
What we test for
Stool analysis.
A comprehensive look at the microbiome — the bacteria, yeasts, parasites and inflammatory markers in the gut. Imbalances here drive systemic inflammation, neurotransmitter disruption, mood instability, sensory sensitivity and fatigue.
Organic acids testing (OAT).
A urine test that gives us a window into brain chemistry, mitochondrial function, yeast overgrowth, neurotransmitter metabolism and detoxification pathways. Particularly useful in autism, ADHD and anxiety, since it shows us things blood tests cannot.
Methylation and folate cycle.
Genetic testing (often via cheek swab) for variants like MTHFR, alongside functional markers of methylation status. Critical for autism, ADHD and mood symptoms.
Mitochondrial assessment.
Cellular energy production drives everything — focus, mood, sleep, recovery. We use specialised testing, often non-invasive cheek swabs, to assess mitochondrial function.
Micronutrient status.
Targeted testing for magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, vitamin D, omega-3s and other nutrients commonly insufficient in neurodivergent children.
Hormone and thyroid panels.
Particularly relevant in teens, where puberty interacts powerfully with neurodivergent biology.
FRAT testing.
Folate Receptor Antibody Test — covered in detail in the next section.
What we do with the results
Functional testing only matters if it leads to action. Every test we order is chosen because the result will change something in your child’s plan — a specific nutraceutical, a dietary adjustment, a targeted gut protocol, a folinic acid trial. We do not run tests for the sake of running tests.
Results are interpreted alongside your child’s full clinical picture, history and symptom map. Then we build the plan together with you.
FRAT Testing & Folinic Acid
A closer look at one of the most-asked-about treatments in autism care.
One of the questions we’re asked most often by parents of autistic children is about folinic acid — sometimes called Leucovorin (USA) or Refolinon (UK) — and the related FRAT blood test. Here is our position, in plain English.
What folinic acid is
Folinic acid is a prescription form of folate that crosses into the brain effectively even when folate receptor antibodies are blocking it. It is not the same as the folic acid or methylfolate you can buy in a supplement — those don’t reach the brain in the children most likely to benefit.
In the UK the brand-name prescription is Refolinon. In the USA it is commonly known as Leucovorin. The active ingredient is the same.
What the FRAT test tells us
The Folate Receptor Antibody Test screens for autoantibodies that block or bind folate from reaching the brain. Cerebral folate deficiency — caused by these antibodies — has been linked to developmental delays, speech and language difficulties, seizures, motor coordination problems, autism spectrum traits and regressive symptoms.
- The test is processed through a US-based lab and costs approximately $300, paid directly to the lab.
- It measures both blocking and binding antibodies.
- Results typically take around 50 days, sometimes longer. We have no control over the turnaround time.
- A blood draw in the UK costs an additional £60–80 through a third-party service.
Why we may trial folinic acid without the test
Our clinical rationale for not always requiring a FRAT test is centred on your child’s best interests.
The blood draw itself can be extremely distressing and traumatic for autistic children. The test is expensive, has a long turnaround time, and we have repeatedly encountered samples spoiled in transit through customs delays — leading to the need for a second, equally stressful blood draw.
Recent research also shows that some FRAT-negative children still benefit from folinic acid, due to other pathway issues affecting folate transport into the brain. The medication itself has a strong safety profile.
For many families, a carefully monitored therapeutic trial is the more compassionate and clinically appropriate path than basing treatment on a test that is often problematic to obtain.
What a trial looks like
- Initial trial period: usually 3 months
- Monitoring: monthly clinical reviews using a validated autism rating tool
- Dosing: weight-based protocol, never exceeding 50 mg/day, even at higher weights (most children work up to a dose of 2 mg/kg)
- Parent feedback: structured input from you at every review
- Extension: where there is a small but possible improvement and the medication is well tolerated, we may extend the trial for another 3 months
Improvements typically emerge gradually over weeks. Some children respond quickly; others show gradual changes over months. Side effects are rare but may include temporary irritability or sleep changes. No blood monitoring is necessary unless your child has pre-existing liver or kidney disease.
What folinic acid is not
It is not a cure for autism. The chance of a completely non-verbal child gaining major language milestones is unknown and likely not the norm — though some children in the preliminary research have gained significant milestones. We are honest about what we know and don’t know.
Cost summary
- FRAT test (optional): approximately $300 USD, paid direct to the US lab
- Blood draw: £60–80 through a third-party service
- Medication: approximately £95 for 30 × 15 mg tablets
- Trial follow-ups: £195 each, monthly during the initial 3-month trial
A note on shared care
Because integrative paediatric medicine is not yet NICE-approved in the UK, NHS clinicians will generally not accept shared care for folinic acid. We will, however, always keep your NHS team informed of any medication changes as part of our duty of care.
Why this clinic exists
The London Resilience Clinic was founded by Dr Dani Gordon after fifteen years of treating thousands of patients with integrative medicine in North America. When she relocated to London in 2018, she was struck by a gap: British families with neurodivergent children had almost nowhere to go for the kind of whole-system care that families in Toronto, Vancouver and New York had been accessing for over a decade.
Children were being diagnosed with autism, ADHD or AuDHD — and then left without meaningful biological support. Parents were being told that severe constipation, sleep collapse, sensory meltdowns and food restriction were “just part of the diagnosis.” High-masking teens were burning out, then being prescribed adult-style SSRIs and CBT that often made things worse.
We started the London Resilience Clinic to change that — to bring evidence-based, personalised integrative paediatric care to British families. One plan that connects the dots across every symptom cluster your child lives with.
We are not anti-NHS. We are not anti-medication. We work alongside the NHS where we can, as we are not a replacement for NHS care. What we offer is what is currently missing: an approach that takes into account individual genes, biochemistry and nervous system factors, not just behavioural therapy and standard one-size-fits-all medications.
The doctors who will care for your child
Dr Dani Gordon
Canadian-British, double board-certified integrative physician with 15+ years caring for thousands of neurodivergent patients. Has spoken at the UN, advised governments, and featured in The Sunday Times, The Guardian, the BBC and Vogue. Lectures on integrative mental health at UCL.
Dr Pram Mainie
Our integrative paediatrician, and one of very few UK paediatric cannabinoid medicine specialists, trained alongside Professor Mike Barnes in treatment-resistant paediatric epilepsy. He specialises in integrative and functional medicine for children and teens, and leads our paediatric pathway and FRAT testing.
Seen from home, with a plan that fits
A 60-minute initial appointment covers your child’s full history, current symptoms, prior treatments and a personalised plan. All paediatric consultations take place online, so your child can be seen from their own familiar environment — no waiting rooms, no sensory overload, no school missed.
A 60-minute online paediatric assessment covering your child’s full history, current symptoms and a personalised plan.
Initial consultations with Dr Dani Gordon, our Medical Director & Founder, are £449.